


Never Cast Aside

by Yotsubadancesintherain5



Series: The Stars, The Moon [2]
Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, F/F, Near Death Experiences, Stress, not canon-compliant to rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 00:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9211220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yotsubadancesintherain5/pseuds/Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: It could be so easy to forget, to let go, but there's a tether to the Earth and she won't cut it.





	

The wraiths had overwhelmed her. Ruby could hear her name being screamed but the garbled groans of the wraiths clawed at her eardrums and her throat and mouth burned with electricity. The world seemed to melt above her and darkness swallowed her up.

She felt weightless, and saw colorful threads all across the dark ground. Ruby reached for one and saw a projection of the time she slammed into a door frame and her oldest cousin had to drive her to the hospital. She dropped the thread and picked up another, seeing her mother brush back her hair and place a kiss on her forehead. She found one thread that was shorter than the rest and saw Sapphire, from their first talk in the diner to when the last of the blue dye was at the tips of her light brown hair and she asked Ruby where to go for their next date.

Ruby dropped the thread and saw a girl with flowing pink hair and golden eyes, holding out her hand.

Ruby reached down and collected all the threads, trying to find words that wouldn't stay stuck in her throat.

"I can't... I won't leave them, not now, please," she said, her voice hoarse.

The girl let her hand drop and Ruby felt as though she was falling in a dream, waiting for the impact that would never come.

She opened her eyes and forgot the dream, her mouth tasting metallic, and she rasped out the name of the girl crying over her.

-

Ruby wouldn't fully remember how they made it back to Sapphire's home but she was in the shower, roughly scrubbing at the places where there was dried blood. When she got out and dried herself and put on the spare clothes, she brushed her teeth until her gums bled.

Sapphire used it afterwards, leaving Ruby on the couch, chasing the dream like trying to extract a tiny splinter in a finger. It was a better thought than the alternative.

Eventually, she had to turn to it. She had never been overwhelmed by wraiths like that. Sometimes it had been too much but she should have listened to Sapphire when her Soul Gem was so murky.

"Ruby," said Sapphire, breaking Ruby out of her thoughts. "Could you comb my hair? I... I can't-"

The hand holding out the comb was trembling and Ruby quickly agreed, and Sapphire settled on the couch in front of her.

Ruby lead the comb down her hair, gently untangling where the teeth got caught. Sapphire's shoulders began shaking. She sobbed.

"Sapphire," Ruby tossed aside the comb, "Sa-"

"When I saw those wraiths surround you, I thought... You weren't _moving _and I..."__

__"No, no, no," Ruby wrapped her arms around the girl. "I'm sorry, Sapphire, I'm sorry. I was being stupid-"_ _

__"You're not stupid," Sapphire said fiercely. "If I had been faster..."_ _

__"I should've listened to you, when you said to clean my Soul Gem, please don't blame yourself..."_ _

__Sapphire turned around so they could hug fully. Ruby buried her face into Sapphire's shoulder, her vision blurring._ _

__"I won't ever do that again, I promise," Ruby whispered._ _

__She felt Sapphire grip the back of her shirt and they drew away._ _

__Sapphire kissed her and the dream faded completely. This was real and genuine and Ruby wouldn't let go._ _


End file.
